Marrying cousin

22 Mar 2022 Ref-No#: 2161

Asalamualaikum,
I wanted to know the ruling on marrying cousins? The reason for it’s permissibility since it has caused so many health issues

Answer

Wa ʿAlaykum Salām Wa Raḥmatullāhi Wa Barakātuh

It is permissible in Islām for cousins to marry.

The notion that it is disliked or that it has caused many health issues is baseless.

The Prophet ﷺ married his cousin Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allāh be pleased with her) and there were no such instances of health issues as a result of their marriage.

Similarly, many such instances of cousins marrying each other have been recorded throughout our Islamic history and history in general without any negative consequences in terms of health.

The following excerpt has also been extracted from an article published by The New York Times:

“Contrary to widely held beliefs and longstanding taboos in America, first cousins can safely have children together, without a great risk of birth defects or genetic disease, scientists are reporting today. They say there is no biological reason to discourage cousins from marrying.”

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